NHL

The NHL is planning to come back in a BIG way ... so says commish Gary Bettman, who just announced the league is looking to return this summer with an insane 24-team playoff!!!

The 67-year-old just revealed the plans ... outlining hockey's steps to resume play after it suspended action back in March over the coronavirus pandemic.

Bettman says the league is working on finalizing details ... but right now, the plan is for the regular season to be ruled officially over -- with only the top-12 teams in each conference returning to action for postseason play this summer.

FYI, there are only 31 teams in the NHL -- so how bad would that suck to be one of the 7 teams that didn't make the cut?!

(California would get skunked BTW -- the L.A. Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks are the 3 worst teams in the West).

Training camps to prepare for the 24-team playoff would begin on July 1 under the new plan, Bettman says ... and the league is gunning to put all the action in two hub cities -- one in the East and one in the West.

Bettman stressed the league is taking all steps necessary to keep its players and staff healthy in a return to rinks, saying, "Ensuring health and safety has been central to all of our planning so far and will remain so."

Bettman says the top-4 teams in each conference will get automatic bids to the 1st-round of official playoff play ... and will face each other in round-robin games to determine seeding.

As for the other 8 teams in the conference, Bettman says they'll square off in head-to-head series to determine which 4 will move on to face the top 4 seeds.

Akim Aliu says ex-NHL player Steve Downie is a "racist sociopath" who "made my life a living hell" during their junior hockey days ... and the allegations are shocking.

Aliu -- who is black -- spelled out the whole thing in a strongly worded op-ed for The Player's Tribune ... detailing several alleged incidents of abuse at the hands of Downie.

FYI, 33-year-old Downie was a 1st round NHL Draft pick in 2005 -- and played 9 seasons in the league.

But, Aliu says before he got to the big stage, Downie terrorized him while both players were members of the Windsor Spitfires, a team in the OHL -- the best junior league in Canada.

"First couple of practices he put Tiger Balm in my jock," Aliu says ... "Then he took my gear outside and threw it on the roof."

"And then he began to belittle me in front of my teammates, the coaches, whoever would listen to him. He’d make fun of my clothes, the way I spoke."

"He was two years older than me and a rising star, and he wielded his power over me like I was nothing -- like I was subhuman."

Aliu also says Downie and other teammates tried to strip him naked on the back of the team bus with other rookies as part of a hazing ritual ... but Akim refused.

Because he refused, Akim says Downie "shoved his fiberglass stick through my mouth."

"I lost seven teeth in half a second. Blood gushing down."

Akim says he felt forced to drop his gloves and fight Downie in an effort to save face in front of his teammates.

Akim goes directly at Downie in the article -- saying, "I went through hell at the hands of a racist sociopath."

"His name’s Steve Downie."

"I don’t really give a crap what he thinks about the way I just described him. I’d say it to his face today."

"He had nothing but hate in his heart back then. He looked at me and saw a black boy with a weird accent -- and didn’t like me because of it. I was attacked because of the color of my skin. I knew it then. And I know it even more now."

31-year-old Aliu has previously made headlines for exposing several horrible racist incidents he was forced to deal with on his journey through the hockey ranks .... including blackface costumes and n-word rants by team officials including former Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters.

We've made repeated efforts to contact Downie for his side of the story -- reaching out his former agent, calling numbers connected to him and even trying to contact him through social media.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says pro sports could re-open in California by June 1 ... but there's a serious catch.

The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and more would all be impacted since every major sport in the state (besides horse racing) is shut down at the moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, Newsom offered a real glimmer of hope on Monday.

"Sporting events, pro sports, in that first week or so of June WITHOUT SPECTATORS and modifications and very prescriptive conditions also can begin to move forward,” Newsom said.

The key, Newsom says, is the trend lines in California must continue to hold steady showing a decrease in people testing positive.

If not, the plans could change.

In other words, everybody keep your masks on, keep your distance and don't mess this up!!!

The announcement comes days after the NBA asked players whether they wanted to return to the 2020 season after suspending play back in March.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been outspoken about continuing the season ... saying "As soon as it’s safe we would like to finish our season. I’m ready and our team is ready. Nobody should be canceling anything."

The New Jersey Devils are doing something angelic for the heroes fighting the coronavirus ... by donating 10,000 game tickets for the frontline employees working non-stop to help the community.

The team announced the gesture Wednesday ... saying the big haul of tix will go toward RWJBarnabas healthcare workers who have been battling in hospitals and other facilities in New Jersey over the past few weeks.

"Each passing day we are filled with more gratitude for frontline healthcare workers who continue to dedicate themselves to help the residents of New Jersey," Devils President Jake Reynolds said in a statement.

The move adds to the Devils' continued generosity throughout the pandemic ... the team also sent 7,000 pairs of gloves, 10,000 hand sanitizer units and soap, sprays, wipes, and other cleaning supplies to the NJ health system earlier this spring.

On top of that ... Devils co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer have made several 6-figure donations to help the city of Newark feed those in the community during the pandemic.

Pro hockey player Akim Aliu is taking the high road with his old coach, Bill Peters ... saying the man deserves his new opportunity to work, despite the racist remarks he made more than 10 years ago.

Remember, Aliu opened up this past November and claimed Peters "dropped the N-bomb several times" toward him during his rookie year with the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2008-09 season.

The NHL opened an investigation into the accusations and Peters quickly resigned from his then-gig with the Calgary Flames.

Now, Peters has found new work with the Kontinental Hockey League Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg ... a move that Aliu is surprisingly okay with.

"Only with the past behind us can we focus on the future," Aliu said in a statement.

"Hockey is for all. I believe in second chances for everyone, that we can all find forgiveness in our heart and that real positive change is coming if we continue to push forward together."

"I don’t resent a man for finding work," Aliu said. "But I will fight to make sure those same opportunities are available to everyone, on and off the ice, regardless of race or ethnicity."

It's a powerful statement from Aliu ... who's made it his goal to help minorities feel more welcome in the sport.

As for Peters, he said he's learned from his mistakes, saying, "I think as times goes on, we all grow and improve and become better versions of ourselves."

Hockey fan?! Ridiculously rich?! Listen up if you wanna own a piece of sports history, 'cause a 170-year-old hockey stick -- estimated to be worth MILLIONS -- just hit the auction block.

The stick -- one of the first-ever made -- is believed to be from the time period between 1850 and 1870 ... as the game of hockey was being invented.

Here's the deal ... in 1980, a couple -- Gary and Germaine Morse -- discovered the one-of-a-kind stick sitting in the closet of a Vermont home they recently purchased.

The Morse's had no idea what the stick was worth ... so they had it assessed.

The value, according to the expert fine art appraiser?

3.5 MILLION DOLLARS!!

Shockingly, they held on to the stick for 40 years -- until recently deciding to cash out -- going to Goldin Auctions and asking them to unload the piece.

We know, sounds like a helluva lot of money for a very old piece of wood ... but 100+-year-old sticks have a track record of selling for a fortune.

The "Rutherford Stick" -- also believed to be from the 1850s -- reportedly sold for $2.2 million in the mid-2000s.

Question is, what will a similarly old and rare stick go for at auction?

We'll know soon ... bidding kicks off on Friday.

Hockey fans paid their respects to Colby Cave in an awesome way Monday ... lining up cars for over 9 MILES to welcome the player's family back to his hometown after his tragic death.

As we previously reported ... the 25-year-old Edmonton Oilers center suffered a brain bleed early last week -- and despite emergency surgery, he passed away on Saturday.

On Monday, his family returned to North Battleford in Saskatchewan with a law enforcement escort ... and the love people showed the Cave fam on their way home was pretty amazing.

Fans parked their cars all along the shoulder of Highway 16 -- despite snow and freezing temps -- and displayed their appreciation for the Caves all along the route with signs and cheers.

In fact, former Oilers defenseman Eric Gryba even participated ... taking a selfie in front of the cars and writing, "a heartbreaking and heartwarming time."

"Over 15km of parked cars welcoming Colby's parents and sister home to North Battleford," Cave's wife, Emily, said of the scene. "Unfortunately, I had to stay behind with Colby's body in Ontario."

"My heart is broken. My heart is full. North Battleford, thank you for honoring your hometown hockey hero."

Cave grew up playing hockey in North Battlefield before he eventually moved on to the NHL as an undrafted player in 2015.

Edmonton Oilers star Colby Cave has died following a brain bleed he suffered earlier in the week -- this according to his loved ones.

The Cave family made the sad announcement Saturday, saying Colby had passed away in a hospital he'd been in for the past few days. The families -- speaking for both Colby and his wife, Emily, said ... "Both our families are in shock but know our Colby was loved dearly by us, his family and friends, the entire hockey community and many more. We thank everyone for their prayers during this difficult time."

Colby was airlifted to a hospital in Toronto Tuesday for emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst that was putting pressure on his brain. After the surgery, he was placed in a medically induced coma -- and had been in an unresponsive state since.

It's been reported that Colby's family wasn't able to visit him in the hospital due to COVID-19 concerns. Upon hearing about his passing, the NHL community at large mourned Colby's death, including NHL honcho Gary Bettman.

The commish said, "The National Hockey League family mourns the heartbreaking passing of Colby Cave, whose life and hockey career, though too short, were inspiringly emblematic of the best of our game." He continued, "Undrafted but undaunted, Colby was relentless in the pursuit of his hockey dream with both the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins organizations. An earnest and hardworking player, he was admired by his teammates and coaches. More important, he was a warm and generous person who was well-liked by all those fortunate enough to know him."

His team also paid tribute, throwing up posts and clips of his first goal and other highlights. He came to the Oilers in 2018 and played for them for two seasons. He'd played for the Boston Bruins before that, as well as several other minor league hockey teams.

Colby's wife posted a very emotional remembrance of her husband, writing ... "My heart is shattered. The amount of physical, mental, and emotional pain I am in when I think about never seeing, touching, or holding you again is unbearable. You are and will always be my person, my hero, the greatest thing to happen to me. I never dreamed of being a widow before our first wedding anniversary."

Emily added, "Although, every cell in my body is lost without you, I promise to continue to make you proud. You were the best friend, husband, doggy daddy, and oh how I wished to see you as a baby daddy. I’ll see you again soon, Colb."

Edmonton Oilers center Colby Cave is fighting for his life after the team says he was placed in a medically induced coma after suffering a brain bleed.

The team made the announcement Tuesday ... saying the 25-year-old became ill overnight and has since been admitted into the critical care unit at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.

"Please keep Colby & his wife Emily in your thoughts & prayers at this time," the Oilers said in a statement.

Cave -- who was undrafted -- made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins in 2017, playing in three games. The Saskatchewan native later joined the Oilers in 2018.

Cave scored a goal for Edmonton this year... and in a tweet Tuesday, the Oilers said, "Colby is an awesome person who scored an awesome goal for us this season."

"The entire #Oilers family is sending you all our love & strength right now, @Cavemn10."

Cave's AHL team, the Bakersfield Condors, added in a statement of their own, "The thoughts of #Condorstown are with Colby Cave, his wife Emily, and his entire family."

There could be a baseball Hall of Famer between the pipes when the Colorado Avalanche plays on Sunday ... 'cause none other than Larry Walker will be the official emergency goalie!!!

Of course, the chances are slim the 53-year-old ex-MLB slugger will see any PT ... but it's not impossible. Walker would just have to beat out the other 2 goalies on the roster.

Remember, just 2 weeks ago, 42-year-old David Ayres -- the Carolina Hurricanes Zamboni driver -- had his name called after the team's 2 goalies got injured ... and the dude helped secure the win!!!

As for Walker, the guy ended up playing a sport with a different kinda stick and was damn good at it -- he won the National League MVP in 1997, 7 Gold Gloves and 3 Silver Sluggers.

But, baseball wasn't the only first love for the Canadian ... he grew up playing street hockey and had dreams of being an NHL goalie.

Freak play in the NHL on Monday ... a puck made its way through a tiny window in the glass and hit a photog so hard in the jaw -- the dude needed a bandage to stop the bleeding.

The unlucky shot went down in the 1st period of the Capitals vs. Sabres game in Buffalo, NY ... when defenseman John Carlson tried to clear a puck by sending it up the boards.

The problem ... the puck somehow made its way into the small cutout of glass where photographers place their camera lenses through -- and it caught a man right in the face.

You can see in footage of the fluke play ... the puck went right through the window at a high speed and left the guy's chin a bloody mess.

Fortunately for the photog, KeyBank Center officials were able to get him a towel and a bandage and he stayed in the game to keep shooting the action.

The Washington Capitals certainly appreciated the resilience ... they said of the whole incident, "Photographer is a certified #HockeyGuy - gonna shoot thru the pain. #Respect"

Henri Richard -- one of the greatest hockey players of all time -- has died at the age of 84, the Montreal Canadiens announced Friday.

Richard holds the record for most Stanley Cup victories by an individual player (11) ... and played his entire 20-year career with the Canadiens.

"The Montreal Canadiens are saddened to learn of the passing of one of the organization's greatest legends and ambassadors, Henri Richard, this morning," the Canadiens said in a statement.

"Our thoughts and sincere condolences go out to the Richard family."

Richard -- nicknamed the Pocket Rocket -- holds the record for most games played in franchise history (1,258). He was also named in the NHL's 100 Greatest Players of All Time list, released in 2017.

Henri is the younger brother of Maurice "Rocket" Richard, whom the NHL named the goal-scoring leader trophy after.

"The family would like to sincerely thank the staff at CHSLD Résidence Riviera for their wonderful care," the team said.

"They demonstrated incredible professionalism and humanity. The family would also like to thank the public for their heartfelt condolences and kindly requests that its privacy be respected during this difficult time."